Wife of Ryan Zapolski Excited About His Olympic Opportunity, He's Among Four Athletes From Mercyhurst University Program Going to the Games

Olympic excitement is building at Mercyhurst University, where the Laker's Emma Nuutinen, was just named to Finland's Olympic hockey team.

She joins three graduates of the Mercyhurst hockey program tapped to play on 2018 Olympic teams, Meghan Agosta and Bailey Bram for Team Canada, and Erie's own Ryan Zapolski, selected as a goalie for Team USA.

Zapolski's wife, Elizabeth (Fisher) Zapolski, along with other family members, is heading to South Korea, to watch Ryan play. She is at their Erie area home, getting ready for the trip. "I don’t really know if there’s even words to say now at this point how excited I really am, I think it’s just such an honor for him to represent the Team USA," Elizabeth said.

Since the high school sweet-hearts graduated from Mercyhurst University in 2011, his hockey hopes and dreams have taken them to multiple stops in the East Coast Hockey League, where he set records and got noticed, to Finland, where he currently plays with Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

The couple married in 2015. Elizabeth moved to Finland to support her husband as he follows his dreams. She said dedication and a caring attitude are the keys to his success. "For me watching him, I honestly think he is such a humble person, he cares about his team, all of his players and he loves what he does so I think that makes him such a great goalie," Elizabeth said. "It’s not just his job, or his career it’s his passion and he works so hard everyday."

Ryan Zapolski is one of three goalies selected for Team USA. He wife is hopeful for the chance to see him in goal.

. In a statement to Erie News Now, the university said that change is a "hard" but "necessary" dynamic, hence the layoffs. We haven't received any exact names or the number of employees cut, but one name has been making the rounds on social media.

. In a statement to Erie News Now, the university said that change is a "hard" but "necessary" dynamic, hence the layoffs. We haven't received any exact names or the number of employees cut, but one name has been making the rounds on social media.

Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook has ruled the death of 44 year old Keeno Butler as a homicide. He said a four-and-a-half hour autopsy determined the cause of death as complications of blunt force trauma.

Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook has ruled the death of 44 year old Keeno Butler as a homicide. He said a four-and-a-half hour autopsy determined the cause of death as complications of blunt force trauma.